What NU is saying about the death of Paterno

Joe Paterno died 65 days after he was diagnosed with a treatable form of lung cancer. Mount Nittany Medical Center announced that Paterno died Sunday morning at 8:25 a.m. central time. Nebraska athletic director Tom Osborne, who had epic matchups with Paterno, released a statement as well as Huskers head coach Bo Pelini.

Nebraska athletic director Tom Osborne: “I am saddened to hear the news of Joe Paterno’s passing. Joe was a genuinely good person. Whenever you recruited or played against Joe you knew how he operated and that he always stood for the right things. Of course, his longevity over time and his impact on college football is remarkable. Anybody who knew Joe feels badly about the circumstances. I suspect the emotional turmoil of the last few weeks might have played into it. We offer our condolences to his family and wish them the very best.”

Nebraska football coach Bo Pelini: “My condolences go out to Coach Paterno’s family and the Penn State community. I have so much respect for what Coach Paterno accomplished at Penn State both on and off the field. He wasn’t just a legendary coach, but a class individual and his record speaks for itself. I had the honor of getting a few chances to spend time with him since we joined the Big Ten, and those were special opportunities for me as a relatively young head coach in this profession.”